Panty girdle with improved stretch characteristics



March ,1965 R} F. PFEIFFER Em 3 173,422

PANTY GIRDLE WITH IMPROVED STRETCH CHARACTERISTICS Filed Sept. 25, 1963 INVENTORS Rein/w/d 5% ,1 fl/w'n 6443M 60 BY ATTORNEYS United States Patent OfiFice 3,173,422 PANTY GIRDLE WITH IMPROVED STRETCH CHARACTERISTICS Reinhold F. Pfeiifer, Farmingdale, and Alvin Goldstein,

Scarsdale, N.Y., assignors to The Lovable Company,

Atlanta, Ga., a corporation of Georgia Filed Sept. 25, 1963, Ser. No. 311,437 9 Claims. (Cl. 128528) The present invention relates to foundation garments and particularly to panty girdles.

In accordance with the prior art, panty girdles are usually made of two-way stretch material and, in order to provide the wearer with added support and comfort, such panty girdles are usually provided with additional panels of special configuration having stretch characteristics different from those of the main portions of the girdle. Also, panty girdles of the prior art are provided with a crotch region necessarily made of a softer material to prevent body irritation in those portions of the wearers body which come into contact with the crotch region of the garment.

In accordance with the present invention, the crotch region of the girdle is made of a softer material, but such softer material is not limited to the crotch region, as it extends from the crotch region to the waist band of the girdle, at the back thereof. The material used for the crotch region, in accordance with the present invention, is commonly known as Spandex and is a soft-like twoway stretch material. Accordingly, the girdle, in accordance with the invention, is provided, at the back thereof, with a central portion which is elastic in two directions, but which has different stretchability than the remainder portions of the girdle. The particular configuration of this central back portion of the girdle and the particular stretch characteristics thereof, cooperate with the remainder portions of the girdle to provide new overall stretch characteristics to the girdle at the back thereof. These new stretch characteristics have proven to greatly enhance the comfort of the wearer in a manner previously unobtainable. In addition to the increased comfort provided by the construction in accordance with the invention, the cost of making such improved girdle is substantially lower than the cost of the inferior prior art girdles. This is due to the fact that instead of having a separate supporting panel in the central back region of the girdle, which must be separately cut and stitched to the remainder of the girdle, a single section which includes the crotch region is all that is required in the present construction.

It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a panty girdle having improved characteristics which give added comfort to the wearer.

It is another object of the invention to provide a panty girdle having improved characteristics which give added comfort to the wearer, and which can be manufactured at a reduced cost.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a panty girdle in which a single unitary element defines both the crotch region of the girdle and the central back region thereof, said single unitary section being made of a twoway stretch elastic fabric having soft feel characteristics. The above and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will be more fully understood from the following description considered in connection with the accompanying illustrative drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a rear perspective view of the girdle in accordance with the invention;

FIG. 2 is a front perspective view thereof, on a larger scale, with one leg encircling portion of the girdle shown in raised position to better illustrate the invention;

3,173,422 Patented Mar. 16, 1965 FIGS. 3, 4, 5, and 6 are plan views, on a reduced scale, of the respective sections which form the panty girdle in accordance with the invention.

Referring now to the drawings, and particularly to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown a panty girdle 10 having the usual body encircling portion 12 and leg encircling portions 14 and 16. In accordance with the invention, the girdle 10 is provided with a single member 18 which defines the crotch region of the girdle and which extends from the actual crotch region up to the waist portion of the girdle at the rear thereof. This single member 18, because of its configuration and construction, imparts to the girdle stretch characteristics at the rear of the garment which enhance the comfort of the wearer, in a manner heretofore not obtainable.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, girdle 10 is made of only four sections which are stitched together to form the garment. These four sections are best shown in FIGS. 3 through 6, in which FIG. 3 shows left side section 20, FIG. 4 shows right side section 22, FIG. 5 shows previously mentioned section 18, and FIG. 6 shows front section 26. Left side section 20 is made of elastic material commonly known as two-way stretch material, being stretchable in both the vertical and horizontal direction, as shown by arrows 28. As viewed in FIG. 3, left side section 20 is defined by upper edge 30, bottom edge 32, an inwardly curved upper left side edge 34, inwardly curved intermediate side edge 36, lower left side edge 38, inwardly curved upper right side edge 40, and lower right side edge 42. Right side section 22 is an identical mirror reflection of left side section 20 and is defined by contour edges corresponding to those of left side section 20 and identified by similar reference numerals which are, however, primed. Thus, the contour edges of right side section 22 are identified by numerals 30', 32', 34', 36', 38', 40, and 42. Right side section 22 is made of the same fabric as left side section 20 and is thus stretchable both in the horizontal and vertical direction, as shown by arrows 28.

Intermediate section 18 is the section which defines the crotch element and, as previously described, extends from a position 53 (FIG. 2) in the front of the girdle through the crotch region, up the back of the garment, and completely up to the waist band portion of the girdle. Section 18 while being stretchable in both the vertical and horizontal direction, as shown by arrows 44, is not made of the same two-way stretch material which constitutes the left and right side sections 20 and 22. Section 18, instead, is made of what is commonly known as Spandex, which is almost silk-like in feel, and creates a very pleasant sensation when in contact with the wearers body, as compared to other stretchable fabrics. For the crotch region, it is obviously necessary to provide a soft feel material. In accordance with the invention, however, this same soft material goes beyond the crotch region and extends along the central back portion of the garment,

as will now be described.

Section 18 is defined by upper edge 46, and left and right outwardly curved side edges 48 and 50. Due to the curvature of side edges 48 and 50, these meet at apex 52, which is lowermost in section 18, as viewed in FIG. 5.

Section 26 (FIG. 6) is primarily a conventional front panel which gives support to the abdominal region of the wearer, and is primarily stretchable in a vertical direction as shown by arrow 54. Section 26 has an upper edge 56 and left and right outwardly curved side sec tions 58 and 60 which meet at apex 62.

To assemble the garment, edges 38 and 42 on section 20 are stitched together to define the left leg encircling portion 14. Similarly, edges 38' and 42' of right side section 22 are stitched together to define the right panel 26 is assembled to the girdle by stitching edge 58 to edge 34, and edge 60 to edge 34', whereby apex 62 will be immediately adjacent to apex 52 of section Thus portions 55 and 57 of opposite edges 48 and 50 adjacent the crotch region are secured to the leg encircling portions 16 and 14, respectively, of side sections and 22.

When assembled in the manner described above, upper edges 30, 46, and 56 each define portions of the upper edge of the girdle and are continuous to define the said upper edge. The upper edge of the girdle so defined is, of course, the waist band of the girdle, and, if desired, can be provided along the inside surface thereof with a soft felt-like band 64, as best shown in FIG. 2. Also, if desired, elastic bands 66 may be added to the bottom edge of the leg encircling portions 14 and 16 to hug the wearers legs and prevent the leg encircling portions frorn riding up. The usual garter attachments 68 may be provided to the inner surface of the leg encircling portions 14 and 16, as best shown in FIG. 1.

It is thus seen that in accordance with the present construction, the girdle is provided with a single element 18 which defines the crotch region of the girdle and extends, along the back of the girdle, from such crotch region upwardly to the waist band of the girdle. In accordance with the specific construction of section 18, the side edges thereof converge, in a curvilinear manner, from the crotch region, towards each other, so that such section gradually becomes of smaller width as it reaches the waist band of the girdle. Because of such configuration of section 18, the latter cooperates with the adjacent left and right side sections to provide a unique stretch at the back. of the garment which enhances the comfort of the wearer. This is particularly due to the fact thatthe stretch characteristics of section 18 are different from those of the remaining portions of the garment. Accordingly, when the wearer bends forward, section 18, because of such different stretch characteristics, will yield a greater extent than will the surrounding sections, and since such section 18 is softer than the surrounding sections, the overall com-. fort'of the wearer is, as previously stated, greatly enhanced.

Thus it is seen that the objects of the invention are fully realized by the panty girdle construction described herein.

While we have shown and described the preferred embodiment of our invention, it will be understood that the invention may be embodied otherwise than as herein specifically illustrated or described, andthat in the illustrated embodiment certain changes in the details of construction and in the form and arrangement of parts may be made without departing from the underlying idea or principles of this invention within the scope of the appended claims,

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is: i i i 1. A panty girdle adapted to encircle the body of the wearer from the waist downwardly below the hips comprising, a left side section extending from the waist downwardly and terminating in a leg encircling portion, a right side section extending from the waist downwardly and terminating in a right leg encircling portion, and a central section located intermediate the two said side sections and having a top edge which defines a portion of the waist of the girdle, the central section extending downwardly at the rear of the girdle from its top edge, defining a crotch region of the girdle, and terminating at a position in the front of the girdle at a distance from the waist thereof, the central section havinga pair of opposite side edges which are secured, respectively, to the said left and right side sections from the said top edge to the said position, a portion of the saidopposite edges adjacent the crotch region secured to the leg encircling portions of the left and right side sections.

2. A panty girdle adapted to encircle the body of the wearer from the waist downwardly below the hips comprising, a left side section extending from the waist downwardly and terminating in a leg encircling portion, a right side section extending from the waist downwardly and terminating in a right leg encircling portion, a central section located intermediate the two said side sections and having a top edge which defines a portion of the waist of the girdle, the central section extend ing downwardly at the rear of the girdle from its top edge, defining a crotch region of the girdle, and terminating at a position in the front of the girdle at a distance from the Waist thereof, the central section having a pair of opposite side edges which are secured, respectively, to the said left and right side sections from the said top edge to the said position, a portion of the said opposite edges adjacent the crotch region secured to the leg encircling portions of the left and right side sections, and a front panel extending between the waist of the girdle and said central section, and having opposite side edges secured, respectively, to said left and right side sections.

3. A panty girdle as claimed in claim 1, wherein said side sections and said central section are made of elastic two way stretch 'rnaterial.

4. A panty girdle as claimed in claim 3, wherein the central section is made of a softer material than the side sections.

5. A panty girdle as claimed in claim 4, wherein the central section is made of Spandex.

6. A panty girdle as claimed in claim 1, wherein the opposite side edges of said central section converge towards each other from the crotch region to the waist of the girdle. i

7. A panty girdle as in claim 6, wherein the central section is made of Spandex and wherein the side sections are made of a material different from Spandex.

8. A panty girdle as in clairn'2, wherein the opposite side edges of said central section converge towards each other from the crotch region to the waist of the girdle.

9. A panty girdle as in claim 8, wherein the central section is made .of Spandex and wherein the side sections are made of a material different from Spandex.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES. PATENTS- 1,126,7.65 2/15 Hynds 128-526 2,221,493 11/40v Schoebel 128-527 2,705,801 8/55 Chubby l28540 DELBERT B. LOWE, Primary Examiner. ADE E M,- EA m n r.- 

1. A PANTY GIDLE ADAPTED TO ENCIRCLE THE BODY OF THE WEARER FROM THE WAIST DOWNWARDLY BELOW THE HIPS COMPRISING, A LEFT SIDE SECTION EXTENDING FROM THE WAIST DOWNWARDLY AND TERMINATING IN A LEG ENCIRCLING PORTION, A RIGHT SIDE SECTION EXTENDING FROM THE WAIST DOWNWARDLY AND TERMINATING IN A RIGHT LEG ENCIRCLING PORTION, AND A CENTRAL SECTION LOCATED INTERMEDIATE THE TWO SIDE SECTIONS AND HAVING A TOP EDGE WHICH DEFINES A PORTION OF THE WAIST OF THE GIRDLE, THE CENTRAL SECTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AT THE REAR OF THE GIRDLE FROM ITS TOP EDGE, DEFINING A CROTCH REGION OF THE GIRDLE, AND TERMINATING AT A POSITION IN THE FRONT OF THE GIRDLE AT A DISTANCE FROM THE WAIST THEREOF THE CENTRAL SECTION HAVING A PAIR OF OPPOSITE SIDE EDGES WHICH ARE SECURED, RESPECTIVELY, TO THE SAID LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE SECTIONS FROM THE SAID TOP EDGE TO THE SAID POSITION, A PORTION OF THE SAID OPPOSITE EDGES ADJACENT THE CROTCH REGION SECURED TO THE LEG ENCIRCLING PORTIONS OF THE LEFT AND RIGHT SIDE SECTIONS. 